


North Woods

by mellamolallama



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: American Compainion, Cryptozoology, Gen, Who in America, first fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellamolallama/pseuds/mellamolallama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drawn to the north woods of upper Michigan, the Doctor encounters what others had called a mythical beast.  With the help of Sienna, he tries to get to the bottom of these sightings which he's positive are not of this earth.  Or any Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fanfiction ever. I've a few chapters written, and I'm sure I have a plan for the rest. PLEASE let me know what you think! I'm sure that I could use some help. Thanks!!

Sienna knew she should have checked her pockets before leaving the cabin.  She knew the woods well, and she really didn't think she'd be out that long.  Just a short walk to see if any cranes were nesting by the pond, she’d thought.  Usually they’d come back by now, and had really hoped to nab a few photos for Instagram.  Not that she got great cell service up here, but still.  Now she was several acres deep into the family property, and saw the distinct movement of something big through the pines.  She caught a glimpse of something brown through the boughs, and grimaced. She looked around, taking her time before she made her choice.  She could stay put, but it was getting dark soon. 

She hadn’t seen any bears on the property in years, but knowing her luck it would be the first time now.  Now that she forgot her phone in the kitchen.  And no one would come check the cabin for at least a week, since she had to make a big deal back home about going off the grid—her version, at least.

She had turned slowly, hoping that by the time she’d made a full circle whatever-it-was in the pines would be gone.  It was, but she couldn’t help but hear the distinct rustle of underbrush nearby.  Only now, she’d lost view. 

“Please be a deer. _Please_ be a deer,” she murmured.

“Be a dear and do what?” A voice called from behind her.

“JESUS!” She shouted, whipping around to see a ruffled brunet head pop out from the cluster of ferns and raspberry bushes. 

“Nope, just the Doctor.  Hello!” The head grinned, although she noticed it was now not actually a floating head, but rather connected to a skinny man in a brown pinstriped suit.  A pinstripe suit in the middle of _her_ woods.

“Uh…hi.” She replied, lamely. “So, you’re not a bear.”  She glanced around, looking for anyone else strange to pop up.

“Nope! Not a bear, not a deer—“

“Just a regular old British dude who is on my private property?” She supplied?

“Uh, something like that.”  He looked down at something metal in his hand, holding it up toward the sky and back to the ferns.  “But,” he looked back at her, “bears, huh.  Been a lot of bear sighting in the area?”

“Well, not a lot. But you know how it is with Yoopers, everything’s bears or wolves or whatever.”

“I really wouldn’t, first time here!  I picked up some weird signals and here I am!”  He grinned at her again, beamed really, as if that should be an answer to her question. 

“You picked up some weird signals, on my property. In a full suit.”  Sienna backed away a bit, trying to reign in the situation.  It wasn’t uncommon for people to wander around on people’s property, and it wasn’t like she was here all the time.  But she also knew that all sorts came around the backwoods here, and one never knew what exactly they were carrying.  Or taking.

“Yup!”

“Weird signals… Wait, were you doing some geocaching and got lost or something?  That your GPS?” She pointed at the silver thing in his hand.

He beamed at her again.  “Yup, you’re right! Always filling in the blanks, you lot!”  He looked at his GPS again, a blue light on the end flashing and blinking off. “Arhg!”  He pulled at his hair, glancing around again.  “Lost.  Lost lost lost is absolutely right.”

Unconsciously checking her own braided hair, Sienna watched the Brit with consternation.  “Uh, do you need to call someone?  My cabin’s not far off, but I really don’t want people who shouldn’t be here on my property…”

“Well, it’s closer than my ship, I suppose.  I’m sure I’ll get some better readings there.”

“Uh, sure.  Your _car_ off on the other side of the property?”  She started following the deer trail back through the pines and poplars.

“Sure” He mirrored.  “So, we’ve established that I was _geocaching_ , what were you doing out in the woods all by your lonesome…miss?”

“Sienna.” She supplied.  “I was trying to see if the cranes had come back.  The pond,” she waved vaguely toward the east, “is where a few couples nest every year.  I haven’t seen anything, but I’ve only been back for a few days.  Don’t know why they’re not here, it’s a little weird.”

“I bet.  Weird’s my middle name!  Well, not really, but it probably could be.  Middle name’s a weird concept though, isn’t it?”

“Ok… And maybe you want to tell me your first before we get to middle, huh?”  She stopped, turning to face him, expectantly.

“I already did, I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor…who?”

“Yes!”

“What’s on second.” Sienna muttered, turning back around.  “Is that some British thing, like some guy down south insisting on being called Colonel?”

“See, there you, filling in the blanks.  Astute, that’s what you are.” 

“Kay…” She looked back, expecting to see some note of sarcasm on the Doctor’s face.  Instead, she saw a man with a genuine smile, hands stuffed in his pockets, and chucks stomping over the underbrush.  They passed a few minutes in silence, the buzz of the occasional deer fly and a far off woodpecker the only sounds around them.

Until the beeping started.

And the smell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And plot starts plotting!

_She looked back, expecting to see some note of sarcasm on the Doctor’s face.  Instead, she saw a man with a genuine smile, hands stuffed in his pockets, and chucks stomping over the underbrush.  They passed a few minutes in silence, the buzz of the occasional deer fly and a far off woodpecker the only sounds around them._

_Until the beeping started._

_And the smell._  

* * *

“Uhg.  That your GPS beeping? You close to your coordinates?” Sienna asked, covering her face.

“Um, yes.”  The Doctor answered, a bit distractedly.  He had pulled it out and was waving it around again, blue light flashing. “Oh, not good.  Do you smell that?  Not good.”

“It’s probably just some carrion, birds drop stuff in the woods sometimes.  Maybe a coyote kill.  Sorry, it’s nature.” She spoke through her shirt, trying to cover the smell of decaying flesh with her fabric softener.

“Could be.  Could be something else…” The Doctor edged a bit closer to her, eyes darting between his GSP, Sienna, and the cluster of white pines a few yards off the trail.  The wind shifted, the smell growing more and more pungent.  “Stay here.” The smile was gone from his face, replaced by a seriousness the crept into his voice.  “When I say run, run.”

“Uh, it’s my property.”

“Yeah, well, who’s the alien expert here, huh?”

“What?!”  Sienna shook her head, thoroughly regretting her life choices over the past few hours.  “Christ, I’ve picked up a lunatic.”  She started to pull away from the pinstriped “alien expert” as he was distracted, only to have him pull on the side of her sweatshirt. 

“Stay still.”

“Let go of me!”  She didn’t want to panic, but as she struggled halfheartedly the smell grew worse.  Like meat sat out in the sun for days and old bones and disease and decay and things that simply that fettered her heart, things that evolution had bred into her DNA as _bad, bad, run, get away!_     

The Doctor gripped her shirt in his left hand, right pointing the GSP at the cluster.  “Got you!” he shouted, letting go of her so suddenly she rocked off balance, bounding toward the trees.

“No!” The words slipped out before she could stop, her pulse pounding in her ears.  Why was she so afraid, there’s nothing there but a crazy man in a suit running toward probably a dead fawn.  She glanced quickly up the deer trail, wondering if she could sprint back to the cleared out trail and get away.

She saw it then, out of the corner of her eye. Tall, taller than the Doctor, skinny with the smell of death and fear surrounding it.  She dropped to a crouch, the words _suppurated_ and _festering_ running through her mind as she whimpered.  The Doctor shot a quick look back at her from the cluster of pines, mouthing “STAY.”

 _I’m not a dog_ , she thought, shaking her head and breaking through her fear.  “This isn’t real.”  She whispered. 

“It’s very real, I’m afraid.” The Doctor shot back at her, backing up slowly as the creature followed him.  “Extra-ordinary, but real.” He had the tone of someone trying to remain calm, if only for someone else’s sake.

A chill ran down her spine as Sienna craned her neck.  A second and third joined the first creature.  Their eyes trained on the Doctor, who was only a few yards to her right now. 

“ _HUNGRY._ ” She heard them, somehow, although she didn’t see their pale lips move.  “ _DOCTOR. NEW MEAT. **HUNGRY**_.”

“I’m sure you are.” The Doctor stated emphatically.  “Let me take you home, you’ll be better there.  I promise.”

“ ** _HUNGRY!!_** ” They screamed.  Sienna held her breath, muscles taut.  She felt frozen, waiting to see what would happen.

She couldn’t remember, later, how she knew what would happen.  It felt like it all happened in one moment.  The first creature lunged toward the Doctor, so she did too.  She felt the creature swipe its clawed hand into her side, knocking both her and the Doctor over, tumbling into the ferns.  The Doctor held his GPS high, a bright blue light pulsing into the air light like a burst through a sunshower.  The creatures screamed one high pitched noise, then seemingly disappeared into the woods again.

Sienna let out the breath she’d been holding, through her blood was pumping hard.  The Doctor bounced back up, pulling her up with him.  She shook her hands, trying to regain some feeling into her body as she overloaded on adrenaline. 

“Well!” The Doctor checked his metal tool again – she was positive now it wasn’t a GPS – and turned around quickly.  “You alright?”

“Yeah sure. Um.”  She paused, finding it a bit hard to catch her breath.  “The fuck just happened?”  She paused again.  “Did you said alien expert? Who are you? What the fuck just happened here?  How do you get to be an alien expert?”

He looked at her quizzically.  “Takes one to know one, I suppose.  You just saw all that happen and you first question is my credentials?!”

“I… Huh.  Give me a second to process this here.”

He waited a few more that a second, but didn’t seem in a rush. 

“You were not geocaching. And that’s not a GPS. And you’re not some old British dude.  And those were aliens.”

“Nope! Nope! Nope! And correct!”

“And you’re an alien. With a weird alien tool thing. Who is hunting other aliens.”

“Right on the ball!”  He grinned at her; she recognized that look from her own students, when one of them got something exceptionally correct.

“Well then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! R&R and all that. Thanks!!


	3. Chapter 3

_“You were not geocaching. And that’s not a GPS. And you’re not some old British dude.  And those were aliens.”_

_“Nope! Nope! Nope! And correct!”_

_“And you’re an alien. With a weird alien tool thing. Who is hunting other aliens.”_

_“Right on the ball!”  He grinned at her; she recognized that look from her own students, when one of them got something exceptionally correct._

_“Well then.”_

* * *

 

She let his explanations ruminate as they hiked back to the cleared path, Sienna holding back branches for the alien as they pushed through the trees.  She was leading a man who claimed to be a time traveling alien back to her cabin.  A time traveling alien with some sort of futuristic Swiss army screwdriver. Her cabin, all by herself, where no one was expecting to hear from her in a week.  After seeing (and smelling) everything she had in the past half hour, she supposed it wasn’t the most fantastical story.   

Halting for a moment, she glanced around the pines, attempting to get her bearings.  She’d been in these woods since she was a teenager, but felt a bit light-headed and lost as she thought.

“Look at that!”  The doctor stopped suddenly to peer down at the flora just off the path.  Sienna leaned against a poplar, his excitement catching on.

She leaned over, watching as he scrutinized the red and green tubed plant.  “Sarracenia purpurea!  Carnivorous plants! Aren’t you just beautiful!”

“Let me guess, pitcher plants are really aliens too?  Was Little Shop of Horrors a documentary?”  She chuckled, hand on her side, rubbing out a stitch.

“One hundred percent earth, these!   Between those and the ferns, you’ve a bouquet of Cretaceous relics here.  Only one alien here.”  The Doctor glanced over, scanning her face as he scrunched his.  “Well, only one right here, right now, anyway.”

He bounced up, seeming to wait for her.  She gazed back down the deer trail for a moment.

“So.” She puffed, her hand gripping below her rib cage, leaning into the pressure as she pushed off the popular to stand straight. “So.  That,” she waved vaguely at the trail behind them.  “That whole, uh, thing, settled then? No more aliens?”

“Yup!” The Doctor gave a little turn of his head, grinning broadly.  “No more aliens right there.  Went brilliant, if I say so myself.  Better than I expected, anyway. You turned out to be pretty clever, missy, running in like that.  A little brute force, I suppose, but the caveman approach fits the setting, although during the Cretaceous you lot were still little furry beats trying to keep away from crocodiles!” He paused. "Did you say your cabin is close?”

“Yeah, awesome. That’s —” she huffed a bit as she pushed up a particularly sticky branch, trying to avoid getting the pine sap on her sweatshirt.

“That’s me.”  She stopped, rolling her shoulders.  

“See those two birches?” she vaguely gestured northeast, hoping he would know the difference.  “Cleared path is just beyond there, and—” She paused, gulping a large breath of air.

“And it’s just a quarter mile from there. You’ll see it.  We’ll see it. I mean, it’s hard to miss and all…” She let her words drop off as she pushed up the slight incline toward the birches.  Hoping she’d finally caught her second (although third or fourth might have been more accurate) wind, she hiked ahead of the alien, left hand supporting her side and the right pointing ahead of her.  

“See, there's still a bit of blaze tape stuck there from when we had the property surveyed.”  A small piece of faded orange trail marking tape flapped slightly off a birch branch.

“Excellent!” The Doctor marched ahead.  “Not that I’m in a hurry, of course, nice to enjoy all this _nature_.  That’s something you lot don’t do enough around this time. You can just taste all that pine and iron ore and—”

“And high unemployment rate since they’re not mining and logging as much in the 21st century?”  Sienna smirked as they broke onto the cleared dirt path.  

“Well, aren’t you a ray of optimism!” The doctor huffed as they reached the clearing around the small, cedar log cabin.  

“Family’s Scottish on one side, German on the other.  What do you expect?”

The two stayed quiet as the approached the small home, passing a large stack of split firewood.  The Doctor flopped down on the large, old maul, legs stretched out and feet crossed.  A rumble sounded from inside the cabin as Sienna sprinted to the door, face paling.

“Elaine!”

“Elaine?”

“My dog, I didn’t mean to leave her all alone for so long!”  She panted a bit as she groped her pockets for the door key.

“Elaine?” he questioned again, his face a mixture of incredulously and bafflement.  “What kind of name is that for a dog?”  

“I don’t know, what kind of name is Doctor for an alien?”

“I walked into that, didn’t I?”  

“I’m so sorry, baby, I meant to get home earlier” She ignored him as she cooed at the dog who was panting and jumping at the door’s glass panel.  “Go grab the lead for me, will you?”  She pointed at the red, plastic covered chain in the grass.  

The Doctor shrugged, standing up and handing the lead’s clasp to her.

“Watch out,” She warned with a smile.  She deftly opened the door, blocking the pudelpointer from sprinting out to knock over the newcomer.  She grunted as she held the dog’s collar, clipping her to the long run lead.  

“Sit!” She smiled at the Doctor, pride beaming on her face.  “Watch this.”  She leaned against the doorway, gesturing for the Doctor to do the same.  “Wait.  Wait!” She paused.  “OKAY.”  The wiry dog sprinted into the grass run, her grin matching her owner's.

The Doctor started to climb the few steps into the cedar cabin, pausing as Sienna didn't follow.  She was peeling off her shoes and socks, leaning heavily on the vertical cedar logs.  “What are you doing?”

She gave him a look he ought to have recognized from himself, as if the answer were obvious to everyone but him. “Ticks? Checking for ticks.  You too.  You’re not dragging them into my house.”

“Cabin. And alien, remember. Different blood; they don’t like it.”

“Uhg, lucky.”  Her voice hitched as she tried to bend over, the Doctor fiddle now fiddling with his pockets.

“Here.” He retrieved his sonic screwdriver, waving it over her in a few quick swipes.  “Blamo. _Uhg, not using that again_. A few high pitched sound waves and they should leave you alone.”

“Nifty.”  She blinked a few times as he fiddled with the instrument, waving it over her again.

“What was that?” She had started to breath hard again, energy flagging as she leaned against her home.  “Interstellar mosquito repellant?”

“Hm.”  He was apparently reading something on the screwdriver, not paying attention to her.

“I’m going to sit down.” She said suddenly, sliding down to sandy dirt at the foundation of the cabin.  Elaine noticed her owner, bounding over to lick Sienna’s ear.  “Mm, thanks baby.” She closed her eyes, only resting.

“Nope!” She looked up, pinstripe trousers now engulfing her view.  “Checking you over, since you’re obviously not going to volunteer what’s hurting right now.”

“Mm?”   The Doctor was crouching in front of her now, leaning back on his heels.  Elaine stared back at him, seeming to decide if the stranger was going to pet her or not.  

“C’mon Sienna, wake up.  I need an answer.” He paused. “Please?”

“Just bruised my side.  Probably when a rotting alien knocked me on top of a boney British one.” She rested her weight on her left arm, wincing before straightening out again.   M’okay.”

“Yeah, well. You look hypotensive and seemed to be in pain earlier on the trail. Let’s just take a look, right?”  The Doctor made to push up her shirt, though she swatted his hands away.

Reaching over her right side, she pulled Elaine’s head into her lap.  “Lie down, good girl.”  Rubbing the pudelpointer’s head absently, she squinted a bit at the alien in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is my first fanfiction. Please R&R! Give me notes, criticism, whatever! 
> 
> Thanks! :D


	4. Chapter 4

_“Just bruised my side. Probably when a rotting alien knocked me on top of a boney British one.” She rested her weight on her left arm, wincing before straightening out again. M’okay.”_

_“Yeah, well. You look hypotensive and seemed to be in pain earlier on the trail. Let’s just take a look, right?” The Doctor made to push up her shirt, though she swatted his hands away._

_Reaching over her right side, she pulled Elaine’s head into her lap. “Lie down, good girl.” Rubbing the pudelpointer’s head absently, she squinted a bit at the alien in front of her._

* * *

 

“Doctor, huh?. As in what, exactly? M.D., O.D., PhD? You’re not, like, a Saturnian chiropractor, right?”

“I’m not from Saturn.”

“Didn’t answer my question, did you?”

He sighed, running his hands through his hair.  “I’m not a Saturnian Chiropractor, and I’m not a Pooshian Acupuncturist. Just trust me for a moment, OK?”

He stood up, holding out a hand.  She grabbed it in her left, grimacing as soon as her weight hit it.

“Ok, alright.” She held her breath for a moment.  “Maybe I’m not perfect right now.”

“Unless you want me to do an abdominal exam in the dirt, maybe we should do inside, yeah?”

Supporting her flank, she pushed past the Doctor into the cabin.  She turned a few steps into the home, “Grab Elaine will you? I don’t know if I can hold her again,” she admitted, sheepishly.

He gave a quick half-smile, unclipping the dog (who had decided that this new man was just fine, and absolutely needed to pet her too, if he would ever pick up her signal of head-butting his hand) and ushering the both of them inside.

“Thanks.  I’m always afraid to leave her out too long.  We’ve got wolves around here, and she doesn’t really have that fight back instinct.”

“Wolves scare you, but you’ll go running into the middle of an alien and some mythical beasts slash other aliens having a row?”

“Sure.” She smiled. “I’d go running into a wolf den for Elaine too. You seemed a puppy-ish.”

“Oi!”  He glanced at the small bedroom off the side of the kitchen.  “Go on.” He nudged her, regretting it as she winced noticeably.

She sat on the edge of the bed, watching as the Doctor washed his hands in the kitchen sink.  She smiled as he smelled the hand soap, then licked it with a loud “Uhg!”

“Pine tar soap.” She called out. “Smells like wood smoke, great for ticks though.”

He crossed the kitchen into the bedroom.  “Lie down.”

She as she across the green and red plaid woolen blanket on the bed, she wished she had installed one of those clap-on, clap-off lights she’d always wanted as a kid.  The thought of turning over to turn on the floor lamp was too much at that point.

“Good girl!” He grinned down at her.

“Uhg, I’m not a dog.” Elaine jumped up on the bed at exclamation, earning a pained groan from her owner as the mattress bounced.

“Elaine, be nice to Mummy there.”

“Uhg! Just get on with it.”

“Fine.”  The Doctor pulled up the hem of her shirt as Sienna closed her eyes.  Her face looked paler against the dark wood walls.  A line of bruises were starting to form along her flank, extending from her hip up her left side.  “I’m just going to feel for a moment, ok?  The sonic didn’t show that you’d ruptured anything, but from the way you were holding your side I’m thinking you bruised your spleen.  Breath in for me.” He percussed along her flank, watching her face as he asked her to breathe twice more.  His fingers traced along her ribs, carefully.

“Well?” She asked as he lifted his hand, fixing her shirt.  “Am I going to die?” she grinned, though tiredly.

“Weelll, in the long term—“

“Please, continue to tease the girl in pain. At least I’ll get some oxytocin out of it.”

“See, clever, you!" She tried to give him the best teacher-glare she could muster.

"Sorry.” He glanced at the flip clock on the table by the bed. “You likely bruised your spleen, although I don’t think it’s serious.  You didn’t break any ribs that I could feel, but those contusions feel pretty deep. And probably hurt. I’m sorry.” She sat up slowly as he turned back into her kitchen.  He rooted through the small refrigerator, pulling out bottle of a green juice smoothie.

“Look at you humans!” He exclaimed as he searched her cupboards for a glass.  “Only you would look at some leafy greens and broccoli and garlic and think ‘You know what, I think this would make a great bottle of juice if I threw some pineapple in there.’”  He poured out a healthy amount into a jelly glass, thrusting it into her hand. “Adrenaline’s wearing off too, leads to low blood sugar. Drink up!”

She drank a few sips as the Time Lord wandered around the open cabin.  “This is nice, if a bit rustic.”

“Hey,” She called out, walking gingerly into the kitchen.  “It’s got indoor plumbing.  And well water. If you want rustic…” She sat down at the small Formica and chrome table that served as a kitchen table.

“Nope, I’m good!” He waved from the fireplace.  He stood up quickly, turning to look at her.  “You, though, ought to be resting.”  He patted his coat pockets as he joined her.  He pulled out a long tube that looked remarkably like those glow sticks she remembered from her teenage partying days.  He snapped the middle of the tube, shaking it.  She couldn’t help but smile as the contents started to glow.  “We planning to listen to some Massive Attack here?  Don’t know if I’m really up to rolling tonight, sorry.”

“What?” His brow crinkled as she laughed, regretting the joke as an ache rolled through her side.

“Cheeky.  It’s topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic, break the top off and rub glowy goey junk on your bruises. Should help you feel a little more comfortable.  Can’t have a tired human if we’re going Wendigo hunting tomorrow.”  

“Wendigo?!” She paused.

“Who said ‘we’?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please R&R!


End file.
